Series of Ten
by Psalm 136
Summary: Ten drabbles about several different people in Atlantis, all at different times. Most are shippy. Done as an iPod challenge. Sparky, Spanky, McBrown, Laura/Carson


**Title: Series of Ten**

**Author: Psalm 136**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Sparky, Spanky, McBrown, Beckman and LorneOC**

**Summary: Ten drabbles about several different people in Atlantis, all at different times. Most are shippy. Done as an iPod challenge.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Songs are:**

**Weapon of Choice by The Classic Crime**

**Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield**

**Empty Me by Jeremy Camp**

**Liberté by Cristina Branco**

**What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts**

**Breathe by Faith Hill**

**What If I Stumble by dc Talk**

**Driftwood by Aselin Debison**

**I Need You to Love Me by BarlowGirl**

**Caledonia by Celtic Woman**

**Author's Notes: They're probably going to be mostly angsty, with some Satedan/Athosian foreplay going on. Which is always good. Yay for foreplay! Enjoy, and please review!**

"_Don't be scared; this will only hurt… a little."_

John hadn't let himself feel the pain for two weeks. There had been too much to do, in light of Elizabeth's capture or whatever the hell it was to the Replicators. He couldn't let himself think about it, feel the agony that was barely simmering underneath the surface of his skin, and he most certainly didn't think about the unspoken words between himself and Elizabeth.

He had known they were friends. Good friends. Best friends, even, in a way that separated his best-friendship with her to his friendship with Ronon or Teyla. There was a way Elizabeth could captivate him in the earliest hours of the morning when they were both tormented by their separate demons and she offered him a cup of hot chocolate as he sat down at their normal table. There was something in her eyes when she desperately wanted to smile but couldn't. Something that made him want to give her his entire life, made him want to keep her safe and protect her above all others.

Now she was gone.

…

"_Reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost taste it – release your inhibitions."_

Sweat dribbled from Teyla's face down her neck and disappearing into the hem of her tight Athosian sparring uniform. Her arms burned with exertion and her legs felt as though they could crumble underneath her, but still, she continued on. Her eyebrows were tight as she focused on each motion as she unleashed her stress and fears onto her opponent. He was silent, as always, but flawlessly defended himself from her attacks, and then seemed to turn the tables on her.

She concentrated, trying to push her opponent back, but he was stronger than she, at least today he was. The sticks he held were like whirlwinds, and she was soon pressed up against a wall, his body providing a barrier between defeat and escape. The cool sticks were gently touching her neck, and she looked at them, accepting their presence and accepting her defeat. She looked up at the victor of their fight, but saw no victory in his eyes. Only burning desire.

The sight of such emotion in his dark eyes lit a fire that had long burned in her heart, and she dropped her sticks, his following soon after. She allowed him to press her aggressively against the wall, and met his kiss with his same passion.

"Ronon," She murmured against his lips as he lifted her into his arms and out of the gym.

…

"_I want more of you and less of me – so empty me."_

Rodney really did love Katie. He did. She was sweet and perfectly kind to every single being alive and she had this innate ability to know exactly how to make him feel better. Despite his arrogance and pomposity, he was filled with all sorts of insecurities and fears, and his vast knowledge of science couldn't tell him how to banish them, along with his demons he'd collected over his time in the Pegasus galaxy.

But Katie saw him for who he was, and knew who he could be, and apparently, that was someone pretty amazing because she was still around. He hadn't quite figured it out himself – not that he was complaining. He wanted her around forever, really. She was the best possible person, and he wished he could be more like her. He was annoying and angry all of the time, and arrogant and egotistic and self-absorbed. But she… man, she was giving and selfless, and he wished he could move through the world like she did, with such elegant grace.

But for now, he'd just love her, because she seemed happy with that, and if she was happy, then he was happy.

…

"_J'ecris ton nom."_

Carson Beckett was a man of singular talents, Laura thought to herself as she ate her breakfast one morning. He was a scientist, a doctor, a fighter (though the thought of such a gentle person killing living beings horrified Laura!) but the things that truly made Carson Carson couldn't be taught in any sort of classroom.

He didn't care who someone was or the political situation surrounding them. If a person was hurt, Carson would help them. He was unmovable on that, and Laura found it admirable. She would have liked to think that she would do the same, but she had orders to follow, and the soldier in her would act up before the soft, comforting side of her would kick in.

There really wasn't anyone like him in the universe, and Laura knew she was fortunate to be able to call him hers, in any fashion. As it was, he was her boyfriend, but that seemed like such a childish term for her feelings for him. She still had butterflies and nerves, but now, she was settling into a steady routine of **knowing**. She knew she would do anything for him, and knew he would go to the outer edges of the universe, if it meant being with her.

The unquestionable loyalty he coaxed out of her was indescribable. Her career didn't meant as much to her as he did. She would defy orders (though she would walk through fire for Colonel Sheppard) if it could save Carson. She loved him, and that was enough for her.

…

"_I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out – I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while even though going on with you gone still upsets me."_

Evan Lorne was like a bunch of the Marines on Atlantis; he had someone back home waiting for him. He had his mother, several cousins and a few uncles and their wives. He also had a fiancée. He had always been close to his family, and he missed them keenly. He'd wonder if they were okay without him, and if they weren't worrying themselves sick over him. He knew his cousin, Lorelei, had a tendency to be a worrier.

But it was Erika that kept him up at night and that made him wipe away his tears before they came. He missed her grins and infectious laughter that often caused his drink to come out of his nose, more often than not. He found himself dwelling on the encouraging words she had given him before he'd left and how she'd tried to keep herself from crying, but couldn't stop them as he bent to pick up his bags.

They had been high school sweethearts, and he'd loved her since she had thrown him a surprise party for his nineteenth birthday party. She had nearly tackled him (she had been hiding behind his door) and yelled 'surprise!' in his ear, and he couldn't keep himself from kissing her.

They hadn't married soon after he'd asked her to marry him three years ago, though they both had wanted to, thinking a longer engagement would be best. That was before he had gotten orders to go to Atlantis. So, he had said goodbye to her and promised to see her soon.

He wondered what would happen if he died.

…

"_I watch sunlight dance across your face and I've never been this swept away."_

Elizabeth liked to watch John in the morning, when he was most unguarded. He had made it habit to stand on their balcony and watch the sun rise. With his nightmares (he never told her about them, but she knew), he didn't get much sleep unless Carson sedated him for one of his many injuries, so he was up with the sun. He would stand there, in a loose shirt and baggy sweatpants and stare over the water, squinting against the gorgeous sun that illuminated his handsome features.

Sometimes, she would join him. He would hold her gently, and they didn't need to talk. They both knew it was better if their relationship was unspoken. It was less complicated, and both of them were aware of their feelings. It was enough until later, when the IOA wouldn't pull them away from their only home.

When Elizabeth had been transformed into one of those feelingless Replicators, she would see the sun rise, and wonder why she missed **warmth** and the feeling of someone breathing behind her as she was held in his arms. She would miss feeling him breathe against her, and the cold, unfeeling side of her would hate him, but the part of her that was still utterly human would rejoice that there was something of her past that these machines could never take away.

They would never be able to take John away from her.

…

"'_Cause I see the trust in their eyes – though the sky is falling – they need your love in their life."_

For the first time since he was a lowly intern in Glasgow, Carson collapsed into his chair, in the safety of his private office, and found that he couldn't stop the tears that were falling down his face. His hands were shaking. In fact, his entire body was shaking.

Three teams. Fifteen people. They had all been wiped out by Michael on one of his experimentation worlds. He hadn't come along because it was supposed to be an easy mission. Not even a mission! SGA-4, 8, and 12 had been asked to return to a planet for their Spring Festival.

Now, he couldn't force himself to stand up and get back out there, and make their passings as easy as possible. Michael had come up with some disease that had quickly turned their immune systems off. There was nothing Carson could do for them, and he was fiercely aware of the fact. He'd seen people dying before, but there had never been this many at once. He'd never seen fifteen people dying at once, their faces and bodies contorted with agony. It would be a waste of medicine to sedate them until they passed, so the other doctors weren't doing much, he knew.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Carson jolted to his feet, pretending as though he had just been collecting something. He straightened his coat, but stopped once he saw it was Laura. Her face was white, but she was composed after walking through the gruesome sight that was the infirmary.

"Carson…" Her voice was soft as she reached up tentatively to wipe his tears away. "Oh, honey." She drew him close and let him bury his face into her shoulder.

"I can't do it, love." He whispered as he tried to force his hindering emotions away. He couldn't, though, and he stood there, weak as she ran her hand up and down his back. "They're dying, and there's nothing I can do. So I can't go back in there and keep everyone together. They'll know I'm as scared as they are."

"And there is nothing wrong with that, Carson." Laura whispered as she ran a hand through his black hair. "No one will think less of you for reacting to this. You are an amazing doctor, but you can't control everything. You can't make everything better, but what you can make better, you do amazingly." She hugged him tightly.

Carson nodded mutely as he straightened up, raking a hand through his hair. He kissed her deeply, squeezing his eyes closed as he tried to accept her love. He couldn't do it, so he pulled away gently, and then walked back into the infirmary. He knew she'd be waiting for him in his quarters once he found time to sleep, and he'd be able to find some rest in her arms when he collapsed into bed. They didn't have sex, and there was a whole lot more comfort to be found when he cried shamelessly in her arms for everything he couldn't do and everyone had ever lost. There was time for that later. He couldn't stumble now.

…

"_And you really didn't think it would happen, but this really is the end of the line."_

John didn't really know what to do for a while. He sort of sat at his desk, staring down at that one piece of paper that would change his entire life. He had known this was coming, and had never expected to last twelve and half amazing years in this awesome place, but there was a part of him that had finally settled down.

He started back at the beginning and reread all of the writing on the paper.

It was a letter asking for his resignation. Basically firing him, but in a more "polite way". Honestly, he would like to ask them to shove it, but he couldn't do that.

After everything… they'd gotten Elizabeth back, saved Atlantis at least twenty-seven more times (Ronon was the only one with the correct count; John would have to ask), and through all of this… they were telling him to leave. Not just Atlantis, but the Air Force, too. Oh, he'd get his honorable discharge, but that was just a kick in the ass, really.

He'd drifted through life, not really at home in one place, but he'd found home. Atlantis was his home, and God strike him down if the city didn't treat him like a long lost son! All because he couldn't help that he loved Elizabeth. They were telling him to leave her and everything and everyone he'd ever loved. God damn them.

He angrily threw his things together and was through the next wormhole "home".

…

"_Why, why are you still here with me? Didn't you see what I've done?"_

Rodney had holed himself up in his lab. It had been three hours since the incident, and no one had DARED to step even within twelve yards of the closed door, for fear it would land one as an unsuspecting guinea pig. Atlantis had been under siege by the Wraith for almost a week, and thanks to their two shiny ZPMs, they had held up rather well. However, the higher-ups were going nuts, and Rodney had finally screamed at John, Elizabeth, Carson, Radek and poor Chuck who hadn't done much wrong, and stormed away.

A shy knock came at the door, and Rodney glared at it, completely unwilling to open it. Hopefully, they'd go away, or he'd have to scream at someone again. He was still boiling with anger. He really could just tear someone's head off and –

The door opened, and a shy Katie Brown stood at the threshold. "Hi Rodney." She greeted tentatively. "Can I come in?"

He nodded, slightly in shock that she'd actually come to see him, and then he lowered his head onto his desk, his shoulders shaking with sobs he wouldn't let out. Katie hurried to his side and hugged him from behind. She had been within hearing range for his shouting, but right now, he needed someone to protect him, not someone to berate him for his bad behavior. He was just as scared as the rest of them, after all.

…

"_But if I should become a stranger, know that it would make me more than sad. Caledonia's been everything I've ever had."_

Carson Beckett was a man who loved as much as one heart could handle. He loved Atlantis, he loved his friends – even Rodney, who was a prickly hedgehog on his best days – and he loved his darling wife, Lieutenant Laura Beckett of the United States Marine Corps. But he had missed one thing through his exhilarating time in Atlantis.

Home.

He was a mama's boy, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. After his father had died, he'd fled to the comfort of his mother. But he'd grown even closer to the land, to Scotland. It represented everything good about the world – the food, the smiling faces, the music. His love for Scotland, and in turn, his love for his planet, was what kept him working, even when things seemed absolutely hopeless and grim.

Atlantis could be destroyed. His friends could easily be killed, his wife along with them, but if there was one thing that would always endure, and if there was one thing he could always return to for comfort, it was Scotland. Atlantis was a second home, but he had been born a Scottish man and would die a Scottish man.

They could revoke his license to practice and take away everything that was dear to him, but they could never take away his heritage or his true home.

Carson set down his bags on the floor of his childhood home and looked out the window. "It's good to be home." He murmured. The house seemed empty without his mother, but now, it was his house, and he was retiring. He could hear Laura making this her home upstairs, and he pressed a hand against the cold glass, watching the rain fall outside. Yes, this was home, and he didn't want to leave again.

**I really hope you enjoyed this - it was my first attempt at an iPod challenge. Please review and give me some constructive criticism, but keep in mind I wrote these in about 3-4 minutes. And I may or may not have cheated a LITTLE bit... Cheers!**


End file.
